Bizsuccess

Monday, October 26, 2009

By: Susan Gunelius

You know those people placed on street corners with promotional signs?  Some include an arrow that are meant to point drivers in the direction of sales, grand openings, or new builder’s residential developments.  Sometimes the person holding the sign is animated and doing an impressive sign twirling routine.  Other times, it looks like the person holding the sign is bored, asleep or even a bit frightening (apparently, there often isn’t a dress code or personal hygiene code to be a $8-$10 per hour sign twirler — and that’s not a bad salary for this kind of work).

As you can see, there is a huge difference in what you get for your investment when you hire a human directional.  The debate is out as to how effective the tactic truly is, but there are some tips you can follow to make it work for your business.  Check out the suggestions below:

Human directionals work best for local advertising.
Don’t hire someone to hold your sign a mile away from your store location.  Consumers who see it need to be able to act immediately and get immediate gratification.

Human directionals work best when there is an incredibly strong call to action in the message.
For example, going out of business sales and other urgent messages are most effective.  Make it worthwhile for potential customers to stop what they’re doing, change their plans in an instant, and detour to your location.

Pay for the right people to represent your brand.
People who move and act interested and excited are likely to draw the most positive attention (but not too active — make sure passers-by can actually read the sign).  Furthermore, the person holding your sign should provide an accurate representation of your brand.  Too often human directional employees are dressed like they just rolled out of bed and actually drive people away from the advertiser.

Partner with a sign spinner employer.
Aarrow Advertising is just one example of a company that takes the art of sign spinning very seriously.  Employees are well-trained and understand what they’re being paid to do — drive traffic to the advertiser.  You can also conduct a local search for sign spinner employers, but be sure to consult with the employer to ensure their sign spinners meet your requirements.  Take some time to see them in action before you invest!  And of course, you can also hire individuals directly to hold your signs for you.